One of Those Days
by LoquaciousLupin
Summary: Tonks has had a rough day, but her plan to relax and re-cooperate is foiled somewhat by Remus, Gilmore Girls and Chinese food. Maybe it would turn out to be One of THOSE days? Rated M for Language and Smooching :-
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note - Clearly I do not own, or make any profit from the wonderful creations of JKRowling. No copyright infringement is intended, I merely love messing around in the world JK so masterfully created :-) **

**As I'm not sure how well known the show is, either here in Britain or in the States I shall just quickly say that the programme which Remus and Tonks watch together is called _Gilmore Girls_ all lines from the show are in Italics. The show is based around a single mum and her 16 year old daughter who she gave birth to when she was herself only 16. Their life in the quirky little town of Stars Hollow and all its weird and wonderful inhabitants is the focus of the show. **

**Reviews are _always _welcome. In fact, they are actively encouraged! :-) Thanks for reading! **

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><p>The day had just gone from bad to worse. Though nothing that bad had really happened and she'd already forgotten what the worst bits were.<p>

She supposed, now as she looked back, from the comfort of her own front room, that the day hadn't really been that bad at all. It was her. She'd been bad. At least she'd been miserable, moody; petulant and she now conceded she may have even been downright right rude a few times.

It seemed like one of those days on which, to coin the phrase her father used rather frequently in her teenage years, she'd gotten out of bed on the wrong side. The only problem with that when she was younger was her bed lay in the corner up against the wall, it was therefore an impossibility. These days however, it was possible, just slightly impractical. She'd been working so hard that she spent very little time in her flat, and so her bedroom could probably now be more accurately called a 'floordrobe' (another of her father's terms). The slightly disconcerting pile of laundry on one side of her floor meant that she always clambered out of bed on the same side and this morning had been no different.

She therefore ruled out the slim chance that had she have climbed out of bed on the other side, her day would had gone any better.

It was just one of those days. When almost the minute you wake up you know; you can just feel something in the pit of your stomach. Your brain immediately insists that you switch off your alarm, curl up in your duvet and go back to sleep. It was one of thosedays. There had been signs early on that her stomach may be on to something. Whilst brushing her teeth, with about 5 minutes to spare before she needed to leave for work, she'd smeared toothpaste down her top.

Not a major disaster.

Then why had she made it into one? Instead of quickly swapping the top for another one and mumbling to herself about her lackadaisical attitude like any _sane _person would have, she'd flown off the handle. Kicking the bin in her bathroom, she'd sent the contents flying then she'd yanked off her top with such force that she'd actually ripped it. Once she'd returned to the mirror to finish brushing her teeth, she actually saw tears in her eyes. She should have heeded her brains advice right then and there.

Instead she'd headed to work, trying to calm down before arriving she'd Apparated about 5 minutes from the Ministry giving her time to relax as she walked the rest of the way. Why on earth she'd thought that walking through Central London at rush hour on a Friday morning was a good idea she couldn't fathom. Muggles, especially London Muggles, were so rude! They pushed passed you, didn't look where they were going, never apologised when they bumped into you, and yet looked at you like you were the scum of the earth if you deigned to accidently brush their shoulder. It was atrocious.

Not the end of the world.

Yet by the time she'd arrived in her stuffy little office she was in such a bad mood that in reply to his usual breezy and polite "Good Morning" Kingsley received a grunt and a dirty look. She'd been huffing at his use of the word _good_ but though her brain told her she should explain this to Kingsley, she decided not to bother.

Work had consisted of nothing more or less than paperwork -millions of pieces of paperwork. Being in such a fool mood had meant that she'd refrained from joining in on any of the office chit-chat, of which she was usually the one to commence proceedings. This had meant that by lunchtime, she'd finished the paperwork from her tray and was looking forward to at least getting to finish work early. That was until 12.55pm when Scrimgeour waltzed into her pathetic little cubicle and dropped, without word, the most humungous pile of fresh files onto her desk.

She'd arrived home at about 7pm, grabbed the slightly stale bottle of wine from her fridge and sunk onto the sofa. She was quite happy to just stay right there with her friend _Rosé _and hope the world would just bugger off. Alas it seemed, the universe had other plans. She'd flipped on the TV, a device that she'd been set against purchasing when she'd first moved into her own place, but her dad had bought it round one day and made a huge deal out of it, so rather than hurt his feelings, she'd smiled and told him where to put it. Now she wasn't sure how she could live without it.

The first adverts had just started, she was 15 minutes into _Gilmore Girls, _a completely guilty pleasure that she was determined to watch every single week until Luke and Loreali got together! (Even though she had the box set of all seven seasons on DVD (another Muggle contraption her dad had bought round and set up). It seemed her mood was starting to lift somewhat, she suspected mainly due to the backwards baseball cap and devilish good looks of one of the main characters in her favourite show; when Kingsley's Patronus arrived, unannounced in the middle of her front room.

"There's been some developments that everyone needs updating on as soon as possible. One of the Order is on their way to explain everything to you."

She huffed out a huge sigh of frustration as Kingsley's Patronus dissipated before her eyes. It was definitely one of those days. She really wasn't in the mood for company, Arthur was lovely but always a little too distracted by all of the Muggle things she had in her flat, Hestia was just…well Hestia, and whilst patient kindly Tonks valued her as a colleague and even friend, moody, bad day Tonks thought she might just end up throttling her. She certainly wasn't in the mood for Mad Eye, the only way to get through one of his visits was to be vigilant in her teasing, and that seemed like it would be too much of an effort tonight considering she was having trouble even summoning a smile. With many of the Order working at the Ministry or on other business that only really left…

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><p><strong>AN - Poor Tonks really is having a crappy day! But don't worry you can cheer her up by leaving a review! She just loves them, honestly. She can't get enough of them lol. <strong>

**Part 2 will be up tomorrow.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: You will notice that I've upped the rating slightly - Remus just couldn't behave himself and used a few choice words in this section and possibly the rest of the fic too. He really is in mischievous Marauder mode! *rolls eyes* **

**So yeah... Four letter words... you have been warned. **

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><p>"Tonks, its Remus. Are you there? Did you get Kingsley's Patronus? Can I come in?"<p>

The stubborn line that Tonks lips had refused to diverge from all day, involuntarily curled at the corners.

So maybe it was going to be a different kind of day entirely.

She opened the door and welcomed her guest into the living room with as much gusto as she could muster, which still left the welcome sounding rather flat.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked as he stepped in and turned to face her. "You look-you sound- well you don't quite seem yourself."

Tonks was taken aback by just how quickly he had her pegged. She must have really been having a crap day if it was _that _obvious. She braved a half smile and assured him that she was fine, if not a little tired.

"I'll make this as brief as possible then." Remus shuffled further into Tonks living room and under her insistence removed his travelling cloak and accepted a glass of wine. She curled herself back onto the sofa and listened to the message he'd been asked to bring.

"…and so really Mad Eye doesn't think there is anything else we can garner from that particular group anymore. He wants us to pull back and finalise any reports and have them to him by the middle of next week at the latest. He –er- looked rather scar…serious when he said at the latest." Remus took another mouthful of wine and then eyed Tonks for a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry. I know you put a lot of time and effort into this project, and it hasn't gone unnoticed I assure you. Dumbledore said that one of the main reasons we are finishing up this project so early is because you gathered so much more information than they thought was possible, in such a small amount of time, that they actually already have everything they need."

Tonks' half smile almost made it into a full one.

She was a little peeved that the project was ending, but she agreed with Mad Eye that little else could be gained from the group. In fact, that is what she had intended on telling him in her final report. And though she was grateful for the acknowledgement Dumbledore had made of her hard work; what almost convinced her mouth to form a definite smile was the sincerity of the man in front of her.

He really, honestly and truly looked concerned that she might be disappointed. And it made him all the more handsome.

"Its fine," Her voice still sounded croaky after her day of solitude. "I didn't really have anything left to do anyway. Things started to die down a few weeks ago really." Remus eyed her intently for a moment and then lent back into the corner of the sofa.

"There is something bothering you though. I can tell." His brow arched, his face etched with concern, she couldn't help but be honest when faced with such friendship.

"It has –" She struggled for words that wouldn't sound childish or require further explanation. "It's just been one of those days I guess. If you know what I mean?"

Remus laughed, a laugh of acknowledgment, it seemed he did indeed know what she meant. "Sometimes," she continued "it feels like it's been one of those months!" She was sat in the corner of her two person sofa, crossed legged and facing Remus, with him on the other end, one leg tucked under the other, facing her.

"It has been a little – _trying _this month." Tonks let out an indignant huff.

"_Trying_? – That is definitely the polite way of putting it, I would have gone for something a little more like fucking frustrating. But then my mother is always telling me I should be a little more ladylike."

Remus' lips twitched and began to form in the tiniest hint of a smile. "Though I should never be imprudent enough to contradict your mother, I must be allowed to say that I think you are perfectly ladylike. _And _I'll concede that, whilst not as eloquent as my description; _fucking frustrating _does seem to fit rather well to the month we've had. The alliteration adds something to it I think." Remus' smile had now fully formed, and Tonks found it contagious.

She'd fallen in front of him, tripped, tumbled, rolled, stumbled, toppled and even once collapsed right before his very eyes. Each time, she was sure he must have heard the vilest string of expletives leaving her mouth, before her brain had time to filter them. And yet here he sat, on her sofa, telling her with a look in his eyes that didn't allow her to argue, that she was ladylike.

A gentleman – for there was little doubt in anyone's mind that Remus was one– thought Nymphadora Tonks was _perfectly ladylike._

This man needed to meet her mother!

"Are you sure you're okay though? I mean apart from the obvious." Remus eyed her so intently that Tonks thought perhaps he might just be able to read everything on her face.

She didn't want to sound like a complete idiot, but she felt that if there was a person she could rely on to just hear her out and not to judge her, it was the man whose hand was now entwined with her own, his thumb caressing the top of it.

What had she been complaining about? It seemed the day was slowly melting from her memory.

"There is nothing tangible wrong with me. I just- I just feel like I've had a completely shit day though nothing has really happen to define it as one. I just feel a little miserable for no apparent reason." She paused and looked down at their delicately intertwined hands. "What can I say? I might not be ladylike, but I am still a girl."

To her astonishment Remus was still smiling, "Well, it is a bloody good job Moody sent a Marauder as your messenger. If he'd have come himself his paranoia and constant vigilance might have just pushed this shitty day of yours over the edge! As it is, what Marauders are known best for is cheering up friends in need." He was now positively beaming.

"It's okay Remus, you don't have to. I think I'm probably a bit of a lost cause. I don't want to bring you down as well."

Remus stood from his seat, with an energy she had rarely seen him exhibit and held his hand out to her. "Nonsense, another well known fact about Marauders is that we never back down from a challenge. Now I think the first obstacle is to get you fed. You're always less cranky once you've eaten."

Tonks opened her mouth to admonish him for such a remark, but then laughed a little instead. He was right; she did get a little grumpy if she wasn't well fed.

"Lead me to your takeaway leaflet drawer." Tonks raised her eyebrows at him, "Don't look at me like that, I know you have one! And stage one of this cheer up mission definitely calls from some Chinese food." Tonks smiled and led the way to her kitchen, which was useful to her for nothing but storing takeaway menus and chilling wine.

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><p><strong>Sorry for the change of rating but when you've had a day like Tonks' <em>bugger it <em>just doesn't seem to cut mustard...if you know what I mean. So will Remus' cheer up mission be successful? I'm sure he would be very much motivated by some reviews, heck he might even be persuaded to come and cheer you up, should your day render you needing his services! **

**Part 3 to come tomorrow! **


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Okay, so originally this was supposed to just be a short bit of fluff, intended to distract my muse from the full length fic I'm currently writing. Somehow though this is already getting quite long. But if you lovely people have no objections I'm just going to run with it and see where we end up. I promise it will remain fluff-like and there will be no angst, purely 'cause I'm not in an angsty sort of mood! :-) So where were we? Oh yes, my idea of a perfect night in... **

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><p>Just over an hour later they were curled up on her sofa, their Chinese food on their laps watching, to Tonks delight <em>Gilmore Girls<em>. Once the food had arrived, Remus had laid it out on the coffee table that now sat between the sofa and the TV. Once they had piled their plates with more food than Tonks thought either of them was realistically capable of eating, Remus had clambered onto the floor and switched on her DVD player. "Where are those girls DVD's you like so much" he asked as he searched the cabinet on which both her TV and DVD player sat.

Tonks stared blankly at him for a moment, "My what _Girls _? I…"

Remus seemed to have found what he was looking for, pulling out a large pink case with a love heart emblazoned on the front. Two women sat in the heart, a mother and daughter. Along the bottom was written the words, _Gilmore Girls._

"Aha!" Remus exclaimed. "These Girls, the Gilmore Girls. They're your favourite aren't they?" Remus looked over his shoulder at her.

Tonks didn't know how to respond. Part of her was acutely embarrassed that _Remus _of all people knew about her guilty pleasure. Mostly however, she was listening to the part of her that was jumping up and down in celebration. _Remus _knew what her favourite programme was, and however girly he thought it, he was willing to sit and watch it with her.

"Oh we don't have to watch that, I'm sure it's not your type of…"

Remus took out a disk at random and placed it in the DVD player. It seemed funny that only a few months ago, she'd had to show him step by step how to use it. "Nonsense. I've been meaning to sit down and watch one of these with you anyway. It must have its merits if you like it so much." He sat back down next to her on the sofa, and turned to look at her, "I have faith in your good taste."

The celebration that had been going on inside Tonks stomach began to die down, as the other part of her seemed to stomp in, turn down the music and shout, _"He's going to hate it!" _ She'd always thought that it was a witty show, unlike so many others she'd seen since her dad bought her the TV. But as Remus pressed play on the remote, she had to agree with the side of her that had serious doubts as to whether Professor Remus Lupin would agree.

She cringed her way through the first episode. Peeking at him every few minutes to see if she could garner from his face what he thought. He gave nothing away.

He put food in his mouth, he lent forward and picked up his wine, put that down a few minutes later and then picked up a napkin, helped himself to more food and finally placed his empty plate onto the coffee table.

But never _once _did the expression on his face change. It was _infuriating. _

As he fidgeted back into the corner of her sofa, getting himself comfy, he turned his eyes on her so quickly that she didn't have time to look away. He'd caught her staring.

She sighed in frustration – mainly at herself – and stared fixedly at the TV, watching as Loreali once again teased Luke about his surly attitude and he her for her pert opinions. They really would make a lovely couple if only they didn't skirt around the issue so much. She hated the episodes where it seemed like something might finally shift between them, only for them to carry on in their 'clearly more-than-a-friendship-but-never-defined-as such' sort of way.

She wanted to relax, to enjoy watching her favourite show, to bask in the comfortable feeling of having a belly full of food and a head full of wine, but with Remus staring at the characters prancing across her TV, she felt anything but comfortable.

Why did it matter to her if he liked it? She didn't care whether Molly thought it was silly or Kingsley thought it was unrealistic or Mad-Eye had no idea what she going on about.

But _Remus - _his opinion mattered.

She heard a chuckle escape from his lips and whipped her head around to look at him, his eyes were lit up, the humour reaching them and he seemed to be chortling at the TV. Her eyes darted to the screen, it was one of the many diner Lorelali/Luke/Kirk moments that she had doubtless found amusing millions of time, but now Remus found them amusing too.

Her stupid girly heart fluttered weakly in her chest.

"I must confess, I expected there must be a reason you liked this programme, and the characters do seem quite real, from my limited experience with Muggles, but I hasn't expected it to be so witty." His use of the same word that she herself had used many times to describe the programme lifted an involuntary smile that stretched from her lips to her eyes.

"I can't believe you'd doubt me Professor. Though let me in turn confess that I have been sitting here rather anxiously worried that you might think it – think it…" words seemed to escape her, "Well that you wouldn't like it."

Remus smiled at her, "I'll admit that I'd have never watched it, had I not have known it to be one of your favourites, but now I find I am quite, what's the word Muggles use… hooked?" Remus moved to stand and for a moment Tonks worried that he was making to leave. "Shall we put another one on? I'm assuming you're not going to tell me if Loreali and Luke are ever going to get together?" He looked at her for an answer, but her mouth felt very dry and her brain failed her. He took her silence as a response to his question. "Hmm I thought not. So we shall just have to keep watching them until I find out. It may take all weekend," He looked a little sheepish, but the twinkle in his eye gave him away, "but that's the price you have to pay. You are entirely to blame for my addiction."

With that he placed another disk into her DVD player and joined her once more. He levitated the coffee table out of the way and sunk down into the corner of the sofa, stretching his arm out across the back of it.

She smiled at him, the best smile she could when her internal organs were dancing to the familiar theme music, _"I will follow where you lead."_ She tried not to snort at the applicability of that line now and at the thought of Remus spending the whole weekend, with her, in her flat. A squeak of amusement - or perhaps of nervousness -escaped her lips and Remus turned to look at her. "Thank you Remus. This is fun. I'm having a great time." It was pathetic, but it was all her brain could muster at such short notice.

"So am I." His smile spread across each and every one of his facial features. She stared at them, noticing things she'd never given much thought to before. He had a cute button nose, manly but cute. His cheek bones lifted so high when he smiled that a person's eyes were forced to look at the deep crevice in which his mouth now sat, which truly seemed to currently reach from ear to ear. The lines that etched his face, particularly around his mouth and eyes, which Tonks had written off as wrinkles, would now be more aptly described as laugh lines, for the man sat in front of her simply looked far too young and vivacious to have wrinkles. Most of his forehead was at the moment covered with a fringe which he had allowed to fall across his face. But none of these features could compare to his eyes.

She knew it was a cliché but he really did have fascinating eyes. They seemed to change colour depending on his mood. Not at his will like her own ability to change her appearance, but quite without his consent or even his knowledge. Tonight they glistened. Though they were usually a dull brown, they were now a deep chocolate colour and around his pupils lay a striking ring of gold flecks which seemed to filter out to the edges of his eyes and fade. A flush of deepest crimson rose on his extenuated cheek bones and his smile faltered slightly, the gold flecks scurrying in towards his dark pupils and all but disappearing.

Tonks had been staring.

Not only had she been staring but she now realised she'd also lent in to study him more closely. All the better to get a look at those damned eyes.

She smiled at him sheepishly and he responded in kind. She felt his hand on her shoulder pulling her closer to him, and now she lay perfectly in the crevice of his arm. Her head between his shoulder and chest, her hand lay flat on his stomach.

As she snuggled into Remus, and felt his stomach contract beneath her hand as he laughed once more at the Gilmore Girls, she could do nothing to stop the annoying, girly fluttering that had sprung to life in her own stomach.

She knew that something had changed between them somehow; after all she wouldn't care if Sirius hated her favourite programme, or band or hair colour. She didn't give two hoots if Mad-Eye thought her dress sense was highly inappropriate at times, and she certainly didn't give a rat's arse if Hestia and Emmeline thought she was too brash for a woman.

But she did care what Remus thought about her. What Remus thought about _everything. _

She felt his hand slowly move from her shoulder to her waist where his fingers started to draw feather-light circles on the skin between where her t-shirt ended and her jogging bottoms began. She snuggled in closer to his chest and in response he gave her a squeeze. She let out a sigh that was equal parts contentment and concern that her favourite show was mimicking her real life.

Had her and Remus just changed their relationship to a 'clearly more-than-friends-but-never-defined-as such' sort of one?

She bloody well hoped so. At least she quite like the 'more-than-friends' part.

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><p><strong>Anyone who wants a more-than-friends undefined sort of relationship with Remus just click on the 'review this chapter' button below, I'm sure he'll be more than vastly happy to oblige :-) <strong>

**Part 4 coming soon... (not until at least after the weekend!). **


	4. Chapter 4 Part 1

**AN: Okay, so you will probably notice that this chapter is a little shorter than the others, I am very sorry about that, but I decided that I'd rather put something up, even if it is only the first half of chapter 4 than nothing at all! The second half of chapter 4 should be up tomorrow night! I hope you enjoy! ...**

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><p>Tonks stretched out her legs, hearing her knees click as she did so. The scene before her was a familiar one. She'd fallen asleep a million times in front of Gilmore Girls, in recent times especially; it had become a comfort as she nodded off. She had her favourite blanket, that during the day sat on the back of the sofa, wrapped around her lower body, her legs had been curled underneath her. Whilst as always the shoddy curtains that hung over the window by her TV were allowing light to stream in through the gaps. There was just one difference this morning.<p>

Her pillar seemed to be moving…breathing to be exact.

She heard Remus give a soft snort and then inhale deeply before his breathing stooped back to a calming, rhythmic lull. In-out-in-out-in-out – it was constant, never failing or stuttering. She didn't dare to move for fear that once he woke up; this beautiful little scene that she'd woken up to would dissolve around her. Her ear lay just above his heart as she watched her hand slowly move with the rise and fall of his chest.

Her eyelids started to become heavy again as her mind took over and she drifted to some paradise lost, her toes squidged in the sparkling white sand, the waves lapped at her ankles and then retreated in time with breaths inhaled in and out- in and out. They walked hand in hand down the deserted beach, her heart light, no fear of the unknown inhabiting her any more. This was where she was supposed to be, not on this island paradise, but where ever _he_ was.

She slipped further into her subconscious and her breathing matched the pace of his as in her dreams they walked towards their future.

They both awoke much later, still in the same position, the sunlight now fully lighting her dingy living room. It was so bright this time that Tonks opened her eyes once and then shut them again directly. Remus began to pull his arm from around her shoulders, slowly as though trying not to wake her. For a moment she thought about snuggling into him and pretending she was still asleep, but that idea was destroyed as the muscle in her calf went into spasm. She leapt from the sofa and started hobbling around the room on her left leg, whilst trying to rub her right. She tried to walk on it, as her mother had always told her to do, but that just seemed to aggravate it even more.

She'd always wondered when she was growing up, as she'd suffer with cramp fairly regularly, why no witch or wizard had come up with a cure for it, they could travel by floo powder, fly brooms, heal people from within an inch of death, but there was nothing what so ever to stop them from hopping around their living rooms first thing in the morning, screaming "cramp, oh shit, my leg, I've got cramp," whilst a gorgeous hunk of a man sits on the edge of your sofa trying his best to look concerned, though really you can see that he's dying to laugh.

Still it was a better start to her day than yesterday. Yes she had cramp, and she probably looked a mess whilst Remus looked god-like but at least he was here, and she'd woken up beside him. Let her tooth paste attack her shirt, let everyone she met be in a terrible mood, she honestly felt like if Remus was by her side, none of it would even begin to affect her mood.

It felt very much like today was going to be a very different type of day.

She finally sat down on the edge of the sofa, her calf muscle throbbing angrily at being scrunched up most of the night.

"Morning Tonks." Remus did not look like a man who had just slept on a sofa, in fact Remus did not look like a man who had just woken up from slumber at all. He looked fresh and clean, neat and tidy. Everything that Tonks didn't.

"Morning" she offered, merely because it seemed rude to just stare at him and not say something. They both sat staring at each other, whilst a lingering silence began to dissipate through the room, becoming so awkward it was almost tangible. "Well, I guess I should make us some breakfast."

"Indeed, we'll certainly need strength if we are going to get through our planned day!" Tonks smiled feebly and wandered into the kitchen.

Their planned day?

Had she arranged something with Remus and then forgotten about it? That didn't seem likely. Though she wasn't the pour her heart into her diary kind of girl, a date with Remus seemed like something even Tonks would think was noteworthy!

She started to prepare them a simple breakfast of bacon sandwiches, it was decidedly Muggle-ish but at least she'd made a hundred of them for her dad growing up, so she knew it was a safe bet that nothing too drastic would go wrong. As she worked she racked her brains trying to imagine what Remus could have in store for them.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you sooooo much to those who have added methis story as a favourite, it really truly means a lot. Can I be greedy and ask for you click the little button below and let me know what you think so far? You never know, Remus might be convinced to plan a day/date with you too after a little light reviewing :-) **


	5. Chapter 4 Part 2

**_I am SO sorry for the massive delay in adding to this fic, I assure you it will not happen again! Unfortunately my mum has been in an out of hospital, so this got put on hold, but she is now home and doing well so writing has been able to start again! Chapter 5 will be up before Christmas :-)_**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 Part 2<strong>

When she walked back into the living room about 30 minutes later, a stack of bacon sandwiches hovering in front of her and coffee in her hands, she saw that Remus had placed another episode of Gilmore Girls in the DVD player and paused it.

Seeing her look at the TV he asked, "You do remember our agreement don't you? Since you won't tell me if Luke and Loreali get together, I shall just have to stay here and carry on watching them with you. You don't have anything planned for your Saturday, do you?"

Tonks felt like screaming at the top of her lungs that whatever she might have had planned, which happened to be nothing more than sleeping as much of the day away as she possibly could, she would have happily given up the most lavish of plans to simply spend the day doing anything with Remus.

"To be honest, I'd probably have been eating bacon sandwiches and watching Gilmore Girls." Remus smiled and sat back on the sofa.

"So, are you going to tell me if we are even close to something happening between them?" Tonks laughed, he really was relentless.

"Nope, but I will throw you a bone and tell you this." Tonks leant towards Remus as if she was about to part with a great secret. "At some point, Kirk gets a girlfriend."

Remus smiled, "Now that I have to see."

The pair fell into a comfortable rhythm, watching the show whilst still carrying on some conversation. It wasn't long before the sandwiches had disappeared and Remus nipped into the kitchen and reappeared far too quickly with another pile, Tonks suspected he'd used his wand rather than slaving over a grill like she had.

Tonks couldn't believe how quickly her weekend had turned around. Had somebody have told her last night that she'd be curled up on her sofa, unashamedly watching her favourite show with -she could at least admit it to herself – her favourite man, and what's more, he seemed to be enjoying it too!

Yes, she had to admit, the doom and gloom that had seemed to shroud her just a day ago, had suddenly and completely dispersed.

Remus broke into Tonks revere, "I could get use to this you know."

Tonks gaped. There had been very few times in her life when she had been actually at a loss for words, not the kind where people say they can't speak but then prattle away regardless, but genuinely unable to form a coherent sentence… but this seemed to be exactly one of those moments.

She formed words in her head, her mouth even made the shape of the beginning of a few of them, but her brain refused to let her utter them. It refused to accept what it had just heard.

"Sirius is of course very kind to let me stay at the house, and it does feel like a home of sorts, but it is dreadfully claustrophobic and so dark! It's often quite hard to feel cheerful when you're surrounded by so much dark magic. You know when I first moved there, Sirius told me he could feel it in the walls, the chairs, the doors." He chuckled without humour, "At first I just thought Azkaban had done him more harm than any of us had originally thought but now, well, I guess I'm beginning to understand what he means."

Tonks brain was in the middle of a run of 'I told you so' s. The times she'd been to Grimmauld place she had noted that, whilst he was still cheerful enough, he was never as free and happy as when he was away from the house. So of course it made sense that he could get use to being somewhere other than that house, _anywhere_ else.

"You're welcome here anytime. I hope you know that. You're a very selfless person Remus, and it's something we all love about you, I know you let Sirius think that he's doing you a favour by letting you stay with him, but actually you keep him sane in that horrible old hole of a house. You're a lovely guy Remus, I mean that." Tonks replied softly.

Remus smiled, "I know you do." He said gently as he picked up her hand and held it in his own. "I'm not sure I agree, but I know you really believe, and that means a great deal."

Silence wasn't something that usually lasted long when Tonks was around; it made her nervous, uncomfortable. Yet somehow everything with Remus was easy and uncomplicated. Neither of them spoke simply because they didn't always need to communicate with words. For awhile at least it was another to just sit side by side on her ancient sofa and watch larger than life characters prance around on screen.

When the silence between them was broken, Tonks was glad Remus was still holding her hand, otherwise she may have jumped even more than she did, "Oh come on! Tonks you _have _to tell me. I have been described as many things in my life, but patient isn't one of them!"

Tonks couldn't help but giggle, he really did look like a petulant child. The pair had a 'heated debate' on the subject for awhile before striking a compromise – they would skip a few series so that they could watch the relevant episodes. Though Tonks still wouldn't say in what way they were relevant.

After hours of watching, and many exclamations of, "oh just kiss her already" from Remus, they finally got to the last episode of season 4. Remus was mollified, but still insistent that they start watching season 5. He wasn't completely satisfied until they watched the first date episode. Tonks cooed and awed as she always did, at the story of how Loreali and Luke met, and how much that first meeting meant to Luke.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" Remus asked as he playfully nudged Tonks in her side.

Tonks smiled and nodded her head. "How could I forget? It was a rather memorable day!"

In truth, if someone were to ask, it would without doubt be on her list of top 3 best days of her life so far…

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><p><strong>Watch out for Chapter 5 in the next week... the story of how Remus and Tonks met :-) <strong>


	6. Chapter 5 Part 1  Graduation Knickers

**Thank you to you all for your lovely reviews - they really do mean a tremendous amount. **

**So a I treated you all appallingly in making you wait sooo long for the second half of chapter 4, I'm hoping that posting a large section now will make up for it? Also, part two will be up before Christmas too :-)**

**oh and swirlsandpendulms - you can have your day with Remus when he starts behaving and helps me get this, what was originally supposed to be a one shot (HA!) written! lol. :-D**

**(I know I don't normally name my chapters, but I couldn't resist this one :-D) **

**So I never really meant this story to be quite so long, or have so much storyline (it was just supposed to be a bit of fluff lol) so I guess it's now AU? maybe? whatever... this chapter is set about a year and half before the rest of the story...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5 – Part One:<strong>

**Graduation Knickers**

Tonks hurried along the corridor, her robes billowing behind her. She seemed to slip every few seconds. She hated dress robes, they were so pompous. Of course they had their place on people who were more intelligent and more poised than see was, like professors and dignitaries, but on her they were just one more thing to trip over; and anyone who knew Nymphadora Tonks knew that she needed no help whatsoever in falling down or tripping up.

As she turned the corner, the papers that had been vicariously shoved under her arm began to slide further towards the floor. She realised she'd lost the battle with this bloody dress robe, but she wasn't about to let it win the war. Kneeling down she allowed the papers to fall onto the Ministry floor. She threw down her broom on the other side of her then pulled at the hem of her luminous yellow robe (which was now stuck under her boots) and stuffed it into her skirt. Now her boots could be seen… she knew she'd get grief from some ministry hag or other later for that if they caught her. After all today was supposed to be a rather prestigious affair. In truth, though her bad mood now at being late wouldn't allow her to admit it, even to herself, she had really been looking forward to this ceremony. It was a culmination of 3 years of hard work and butt kissing and she'd actually quite enjoyed the hard work side of things.

Today was her graduation from Auror training and along with 19 others she was, if she could stop tripping over her own feet and get there on time, going to be ceremoniously named as a fully fledged, completely qualified, Dark Wizard Catcher – who couldn't even walk in a straight line without falling flat on her face.

She skidded into the room just as her fellow trainees were queuing up to process into the grand ceremony, of which the Minister himself was presiding. She dumped her papers on the nearest chair and threw her broom into the corner of the room and then squeezed in between Fredrick Stogins and Rubern Underhill. She knew this should be a time of celebration, and she was actually a little annoyed that the ministry had managed to ruin it for all of them. They'd been told just yesterday, that whilst all of them were today graduating and would be Aurors, only 4 of them would actually be working at the ministry. The others would be stationed around the country working undercover with the Muggle police.

Whilst Tonks knew that whatever happened she had passed her training and was being granted her wish of becoming an Auror, she couldn't suppress that part of her which wanted to burst out crying every time she thought about working somewhere other than the ministry of magic. Of course she knew that her job would involve travel and large amounts of time doing undercover work, and it wasn't that she so desperately loved working at ministry head quarters, but she did love the people she'd come to know there – some of them at least. She couldn't imagine not being reminded to keep constantly vigilant by Mad Eye each morning, or being teased relentlessly for not being able to stand upright by Kingsley. She'd always felt out of step with the rest of the world, but in her little office, in her tiny cubicle in the Auror department of the Ministry of Magic, she truly felt like she belonged.

The line in front of her started to process forward and she mechanically followed, not really taking in any of the sights around her. In a blur of people, colours and diplomas, it was her turn to step onto the stage and accept her diploma, which wrapped inside contained her placement for the next 5 years. She walked the short distance across the makeshift podium and was safely walking down the steps at the other side.

Merlin's beard! Had she really just made it up the stairs, across the podium and down the other side without stumbling once over her robes? Automatically her hand went down to pick up her robe but instead she touched only her bare leg. As she sunk into her seat she looked down and felt heat rush to her cheeks.

Her robe was still tucked into her skirt.

The audience of ministry officials and honoured guests would have no doubt just caught a lovely glimpse of her bright purple knickers. Her head flopped into her hands as she heard a loud chortle from someone in the audience.

She definitely wasn't one of the 4 who'd be working at the ministry a week on Monday.

888888888888888888888

Remus Lupin was feeling rather anxious, surrounded as he was by Ministry employees. He had a few old friends who still worked for the minister for magic, but he himself had kept his distance from the ministry for a long time, out of sight, out of mind – he hoped. Yet Dumbledore had insisted that he accompany him on this trip, said it would do him good to get out of Hogwarts and that seeing the new generation of Aurors, and just how open minded they were would cheer even a great cynic like Remus up. Well of course Dumbledore hadn't called him a cynic, but he knew it was what everyone thought. And as of late, they were right.

It had been hard on the way in to see all the posters of Sirius dotted around the place but he pushed that particular pain to the back of his head, to be dealt with when he was in a less public place. The truth was, if it wasn't for Dumbledore appointing him as professor this year, he'd be even more of a cynic than he already was. The last few months Remus had been happier than he could ever remember being before, unless of course you counted his days at Hogwarts as a student, and somehow Remus never did seem to count or even think of those days, it was just too painful.

Yet he had been able to once again find solace within the walls of the aging castle, and was very grateful to Dumbledore and the other Professors he had become friendly with for keeping him saner than he'd felt in years.

And so it was due to these feelings of gratefulness that he'd felt obliged to agree to Dumbledore's request, that he attend the Auror Graduation Ceremony.

It gave him more delight than he had anticipated to see bright young people beaming as they were handed their diplomas. He started to imagine a few of his own students standing here one day, receiving their official go ahead from the Ministry to start tracking and hopefully catching dark wizards, and it gave Remus a indescribable feeling of self worth, to feel that if just one of his students enjoyed his lessons enough to want to pursue a career as an Auror, then Remus felt that his life wouldn't have been such a waste after all.

However as the line of graduates, (not just Aurors but trainees from other departments too) continued to process through the hall, though they all looked very happy, Remus could see how the Ministry had already begun to shape them, to morph them into perfect little pawns for Fudge and his sheep to move around at whim. Of course they were all wearing the same disgusting yellow robes, but all the women seemed to have their hair styled very similarly and were all wearing the same shoes. The men all had very neat and tidy hair as well, each wearing a suit under their robes, Remus had no doubt.

It was in the midst of all these indistinct people that Remus first caught a glimpse of her and tried hard to stifle his chuckle as she shuffled closer to the stage, seemingly not paying much attention to where she was going. Unlike all the others, her hair was in a messy short bob that hung around her face and in contrast to her yellow robe, it shone quite a vivid purple. Her shoes didn't seem to be quite the standard boring ones that all the other trainee Aurors had chosen either, hers seemed to be big clumpy looking boots. But it was none of these things that had made Remus want to laugh, in fact he quite admired the young lady for sticking it to Fudge and for refusing to lose her individual sense of self.

No what was making Remus, (and a few others in the room who weren't too stuck up their own backsides to find it funny) laugh, was that Remus could also tell you what colour knickers the young lady was wearing and adorably, they matched her hair.

Her robes seemed to have somehow gotten stuck in her skirt and were pulling it up at weird angles, giving everyone a clear shot of the poor woman's bottom.

"_At least she remembered to knickers on" _Dumbledore whispered to Remus as she was handed her own diploma from the Minister. It was that combined with the look on poor old Fudge's face that finally pushed Remus over the top and quite uncharacteristically he chortled loudly as the adorable young woman made her way to her seat.

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><p><strong>Part 2 coming soon, I hope you liked it :-) <strong>

**Reviews make both Remus and I very happy indeed... Just saying! :-)**


	7. Chapter 5 Part 2 Together

**Eek! I know I said _before _Christmas, but I didn't realise someone was going to buy me Harry Potter for the wii! As you can imagine, I've been a bit busy the past few days. However between the Turkey, mince pies and Harry Potterness I have managed to pen Chapter 5.2, I hope you all like it! :-S**

**EnamouredFan - It really was supposed to be a quick fluffy piece to distract me from the full length fic but... hmm my muse took control! lol :-D**

**So here is the end of Chapter 5... I hope you like it! **

**Warning for some bad language in this chapter...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5 Part 2 - Together we can make the Ministry More Magic<strong>

She thought about slipping into a corner, morphing into some mystery face and slipping away from the whole awful affair. She had a suitable corner in her sights, she was already deciding what colour hair she should choose and had actually started changing the colour of her eyes as she stood up, the mortification she'd felt at messing up in front of the entire ministry was being slowly displaced with a slither of hope until…

"Tonks."

Of all the rotten sodding moments… "Mad Eye," Tonks tried to sound a little more cheerful than she felt. "I was just going to try and find…"

"Bloody hell Tonks," Mad Eye interrupted, "have you listened to nothing I've taught you. Constant vigilance Nymphadora! Wearing colours as bright as those purple things you were wearing, well you might as well have stuck a bulls eye to your bum cheek. A Death eater could have spotted you a mile away! I've said it before Nymphadora and I'll say it again, blending in… that's what will keep you alive in the end."

Tonks tried not to laugh at Mad Eye, the guy with a gamy leg and a magical eye, who almost every wizard in the country could identify a mile off was telling _her _to try and blend in! "Oh," he added more quietly, "and I'm proud of you Auror Tonks, Well done." Before she even had time to feel the tears prickle in her eyes he was clumping off out shouting behind him, "Constant vigilance mind, no one can be the hero if their dead."

Tonks wiped a stray tear that rolled down her cheek. She really was going to miss that old codger when they dumped her god knows where working with the muggle police. Suddenly the diploma in her hand, which had wrapped inside it the information of where she would be based, seemed to feel heavier. Pulling off her robe, as many others had already done, she decided not to morph into an unknown entity.

She was Nymphadora Tonks, Auror.

And whilst the first name was unfortunate and she was clumsy as anything, she was a real qualified Auror, something she'd been dreaming about for a long time and nobody was going to make he feel anything less than ecstatic today, not even her own idiocy.

The diploma in her hand seemed to shake at that moment, as if to test her resolution to be happy no matter what.

She needed to get away from the ministry, she'd been told earlier by Kingsley that a few of the more, how had he put it, _favourable _trainees and mentors were all heading to the Kings Arm just round the corner from the ministry. She ducked into a nearby toilet and quickly swapped the skirt she'd donned for the ceremony with some more comfortable jeans then headed out into the fresh… fresh-ish London air.

When she entered the Kings Arm it was almost empty. There was an elderly woman sat by the bar, though the way she was knocking back fire whiskeys she looked like a teenage wizard and one other man sat at the table in the corner.

Sitting down at the table nearest the toilets, as far away from everyone else as she could, she realised how glad she was no one from the ministry had arrived yet, she needed some time to calm down and take everything in. She, clumsy, bright haired, loud mouthed, Nymphadora Tonks was now a dark wizard catcher. She pulled her diploma from her bag and twirled it round in her hands, so many thoughts were swirling through her head, voices screaming at her to open the damn thing and find out her fate, others warning her that once she read what was on that paper, she couldn't change it, she'd know that she was heading away from London, away from the few friends she'd made here, it would be right there in black and white. She knew that her father would say it was like ripping off a plaster and she should just get it over with; but she just couldn't bring herself to untie the bow that was holding it closed tight.

Someone brushed passed her chair knocking her forward, a knock that probably wouldn't have affected a normal person, but Tonks, always feeling slightly off balance managed to send the butter bear she'd bought before sitting down, flying across the table, spilling the contents everywhere.

"Miss, I do apologise, I didn't mean…" Tonks stopped the poor man who seemed to think her clumsiness was his fault.

"No no don't worry, I don't need anyone's help to knock things over." She'd stood up cast a drying spell on her clothes and the table, and was heading to the bar when the man stepped in front of her.

"But at the very least I didn't exactly helped your coordination, please let me replace your drink." Tonks looked up at the man, he had kind eyes and seemed to be sincere in his apology.

"Sure, thanks." She sat back down as the man headed over to the bar. Once again she picked up her diploma, she knew she was being a complete wimp, which was very stupid for a witch who was suppose to be catching dark wizards for a living.

After handing her the drink he said, "Knut for your thoughts."

This time she didn't spill the butter bear, instead she spat the mouthful she'd just taken all over the table.

"You what now?" She managed to splutter. "Now look, I know I accepted the drink but…"

"Miss, miss please, it's simply an expression." She watched as he pulled a coin out of his pocket, a Knut to be exact.

"Oh Bollocks!"

"No," the man laughed, "Knuts."

Tonks could hear her mother's voice in her head, telling her how un-lady like it was to snort when you laughed, but she honestly couldn't help it. The man sat down opposite her, he was laughing too, his eyes twinkled with a boyish charm, and it made him look much younger than she'd first thought he was.

"Congratulations by the way. Becoming an Auror is very impressive."

Tonks was momentarily stunned into silence, "But…well how did you…"

"I was at the ceremony this afternoon."

"Oh" was all she could think to reply. She'd all but forgotten about the shitty piece of paper that would tell her everything she didn't want to know.

"Does that diploma need surgically removing from your hand or does this cardigan make me look shiftier than I'd realised? I knew I should have gone for the black instead of beige."

She laughed again, she wasn't sure who this man was, but he was a complete contradiction of terms. To look at him, his clothes, his persona, the only truthful way to describe him was 'dull'.

And yet.

And yet his eyes seemed to twinkle with a mischief that was anything but dull. Plus he'd managed to make her laugh twice in just the past few minutes. No one had made her laugh in a really long time.

"It's my assignment information for the next few years actually. You'll probably want to take back your comment that being an Auror is impressive when I admit, I'm just can't bring myself to open it. I'm actually _scared _to open it."

He smiled kindly and shook his head. "Not at all, fear is a very sensible emotion. It lets us know when to fight and when to run. Though in this case I'm afraid, there really is no option of running."

Tonks couldn't take it anymore, "Please, can you just open it for me. Please, I'll never be able to do, just take the damn thing before I go completely insane and get locked up in St Mungo's before I've even caught my first dark wizard."

She was waving the paper around in front of his face like a crazy woman but she couldn't help it. She needed to know once and for all where she would be starting her horrible new life.

The man, to his credit, managed to look only mildly amused and not the littlest bit freaked out as he took the paper out of her hands. As she watched his long slender fingers untie the hideous red bow all she could think about was how vindictive time could be. When everything was amazing and you could quite happily live in the moment forever, time would take it all away from you in the blink of an eye, and yet now it was as though time was off having a nap, forgetting to keep ticking, not caring that her life was in the strange mans hands.

"What does it say? Where…"

He put his hand up to stop her, cleared his throat and then read aloud,

"_Miss Nymphadora Tonks, _

_By request of the Minister for Magic, you are required as a Level 4 Qualified Auror to report to the Ministry of Magic on Monday 18__th__ April at 9am for your introduction and safety induction. _

_You will be based at the Ministry of Magic headquarters in London. _

_Congratulations on completing your Auror training. _

_We look forward to working with you, _

_Together we can make The Ministry More Magic. _

_Hoping you are well, _

_Mafilda Hopkirk. _

The words were a blur in her head, she was going to be based at the Ministry, she was one of the four. She honestly felt like she'd never been happier.

Before her brain could engage with her muscles and tell her it was a bad idea, she was on her feet and had jumped onto the man who, the limited part of her brain which was currently working convinced her was the reason for the good news. How else could she have actually gotten one of the coveted positions at the Ministry?

He stood and caught her, his hand resting on her hips as she planted a quick kiss on his lips. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She danced around the tiny pub, the paper tucked close to her chest, thanking both this strange man who was now her new lucky charm and everyone else who was listening, she was just so happy!

She turned back to the man, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't behave like this at work…at the Ministry of Magic!

"Mr Wonderful wonderful man, thank you so much!" He laughed and shook the hand that Tonks had offered him.

"oh Mr Wonderful, I'm not sure about that. Please just call me Lupin, Remus Lupin."

Tonks smiled at the wonderful man that was Remus Lupin.

"Well Remus, it looks like this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

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><p><strong>I hope you liked it! Please do let me know... :-) Remus is happy to come round to your house and give you some good news, once you've clicked that little button... just down at the bottom of the page, yes that's the one! :-D<strong>

**oh and Merry Christmas and a Lovely healthy and happy New year to you all. **

**Chapter 6 up in the next few days...**


	8. I'm Glad

********Sorry sorry sorry ****Sorry sorry sorry ****Sorry sorry sorry ****Sorry sorry sorry **Sorry sorry sorry **Sorry sorry sorry **Sorry sorry sorry! **********

**************I know it's been ages since I've updated this! I got completely side tracked (read obsessed) with Sherlock, and was writing that, well I don't even think I've been writing it - it was just in my head and had to be typed! lol. **

**So anyway, I hope that this makes up for the long wait! There will be more soon... promise!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6 - I'm Glad<strong>

The memory of their first meeting was making both of them blush. Tonks thought she should be even more embarrassed than she really felt.

"I can't believe I actually showed a whole load of ministry officials my knickers and they _still_ employed me!"

The twinkle in Remus' eye grew as he remarked, "Perhaps that's _why _they employed you."

"Ha! Can't you just imagine that! Old fudge is many things, but pervy isn't something I'd every attributed to him." Tonks smiled at her friend, she was so glad they had met that day, it felt like it was hundreds of years ago, in fact she couldn't remember a time when Remus hadn't been her shoulder to cry on, her confidante, her closest friend, her…

Her mind wouldn't allow her to finish that thought, she'd done this before, convinced her mind to persuade her heart that she felt more than she really did, for someone who was at the end of it all, frankly was not worth giving a damn about.

But Remus is different; a small part of her mind spoke out.

Be that as it may, she knew that she shouldn't rely on him as much as she did. But for now at least, she was quite content to allow that small niggling voice to be drowned out by the one that was still so excited that she'd woken up here, in her flat with the wonderful, wonderful (because one wonderful just didn't seem quite enough), Remus.

"I must admit," declared Remus, "I am very glad that Dumbledore convinced me to attend your Graduation. I think you were who Dumbledore wanted me to meet."

Tonks brow furrowed, "me? Why would he want you to meet me? I'm sure he could have found someone clumsy to introduce you to at Hogwarts."

"I'm sure he could." Remus laughed, "However, I don't think your lack of coordination was why he wanted us to meet. No I think he knew how open minded you'd be. You know. About me, everything I am, everything that's happened. I was starting to become such a pessimist, starting to think that everyone I met would judge me, so I was judging them before they'd get the chance to do the same to me."

Tonks took hold of Remus' hand, "Anyone who prejudges you Remus, misses out on an intelligent, kind and loyal friend."

Remus' smiled reached his eyes and warmed her soul, "thanks Tonks, your, your faith in me means an awful lot, more than I think I could ever explain to you."

Tonks was fighting the urge her cheeks seemed to have to turn her into a lobster lookalike. She wasn't sure when she turned into this girly, silly little thing. What had happened to the ballsy woman who had kissed Remus full on the month when she hardly ever knew him. Now, when this wonderful beautiful, kind man was sat in front of her, she couldn't do anything, couldn't say anything.

It dawned on her that Remus' own cheeks were a little pinker than usual. That at least gave her a little confidence to try and change the topic somewhat.

"I can't believe it has been so long since I graduated! It makes me feel old!"

"Remus laughed, "Oh yes, you're like a dinosaur or something."

Foot in mouth, that was what Tonks suffered from.

"Well you know what I mean! It has just gone so fast. I was so naïve back then, not that I don't love working for the Ministry, but, I dunno, back then I guess I thought that everyone at the ministry was committed to making witches and wizards lives better." Tonks snorted, "Now I'm not even sure if some of them are even basically decent."

Remus could see the sadness in her eyes, and though he didn't think this was the right time to tell her, she was partly right. She was what some people would call a little naïve when he'd first met her, she did have a rosey outlook on everything, but that was just one of the many things he loved…

About her.

One of the many things he loved about her.

That's exactly what had popped into his mind. He knew it shouldn't really be so much of a shock, he'd felt something that very first day, in that dingy pub, but when they had first become friends, he'd written it off as just physical attraction, then later he'd felt certain that he was too old to be anything other than her friend.

"War changes people Tonks." Remus knew that all too well. "But it hasn't changed you." He couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. Tonks was curled up in the corner of her sofa smiling; you're still just the same as your graduation day."

Tonks smiled, "I don't think I'm _exactly _the same." Tonks hair was suddenly the brightest pink, "I'm sure my hair was purple back then."

They both laughed, "I had more guts back then" Tonks admitted. "Graduation was a good time though; sometimes I still can't believe that they allowed me to be an Auror, let alone one that works at the ministry head quarters. I'm glad Dumbledore dragged you there."

Remus could quite honestly kiss Dumbledore for making him go to the Auror Graduation that year. "I'm glad he did too" he said instead, "I'm glad you came to the pub afterwards,"

Tonks smiled, "I'm glad you bumped into me." Remus could remember it all as though it really had just been yesterday that this tremendously tremendous (because one tremendous just wasn't enough to fully describe her,) woman had come into his life. "I'm glad you spilt your drink,"

Tonks scoured, "Now wait a minute, I blamed it on myself at the time, I'm so use to being the clumsiest person in the room, but you know, I think you spilt my drink." Her eyes brows were wriggling up and down on her forehead, as if challenging him to disagree with her.

"I'll concede that my nudge didn't help with the spillage, but I feel it would be fair to say that your drink was in danger with or without my nudge."

Tonks fake scowl had been replaced with a sweet smile, "I'm glad the drink spilled, who ever was to blame, because it meant we talked."

Remus smiled too, "I'm glad you were a bit neurotic and made me open your letter."

Somehow they seemed to have moved closer to each other, both now sitting in the middle of Tonks sofa. "I'm glad you saved my sanity and opened my letter."

For the first time in an incredibly long time, perhaps even ever, Remus Lupin spoke without thinking.

"I'm glad you kissed me."

The minute it had left his lips he stopped breathing, why, what, when, where and how the hell had that slipped out of his lips?

"I'm glad you kissed me too." Tonks reply confused Remus.

"But I've never kissed you."

Tonks was determined to be that confident, go-get-it girl she'd been the day she'd graduated, the youngest Auror graduate ever, the not afraid of anything daughter of Ted and Andromeda Tonks.

"Exactly. Didn't your mother ever tell you that it's rude to keep a lady waiting."

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><p><strong>So... was it worth the wait? (Ok I know it wasn't but...) yeah let me know what you think... :-S<strong>


	9. Haze of Happiness

**So, thank you so so so so much to those who are still reading this, I'm sorry posting has been erratic. **

**This chapter is a short one for me, but I felt that it was just fluffy enough just as it was, so I didn't want to add any serious talking or anything to the end. **

**So here is a totally pure, guilt free chapter of fluff - waiting for my erratic posts, you've all earned it! :-)**

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><p>There were very few things that Tonks was very sure of at the moment. The uprising of the Lord Voldemort had turned everyone's lives upside down. She wasn't sure what side of right and wrong the Ministry stood these days, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to carry on being an Auror when all this was over – if she lived to see it be over.<p>

Nothing was a certainty.

At least that's how she'd felt not more than 40 hours ago.

Before Remus had come round to her flat. Before they'd eaten their body weight in Chinese food and watched hours of Gilmore Girls. Before she'd woken up to find her pillow was Remus, before they'd eat bacon sandwiches and watched even more Gilmore girls; before they'd reminisced about her Graduation.

Before Remus Lupin had kissed her…

And now there was only one thing that she was absolutely 150% completely sure of – that she never wanted him to stop kissing her – Ever.

At first she'd thought she had over stepped a mark, when she'd asked him to kiss her – joking that you shouldn't make a lady wait. Remus has stared at her, mouth slightly open. His whole body seemed to have gone ridged as though he'd been hit with a body binding curse.

After what for Tonks felt like years, she slowly uncurled her legs from under her and got up off the sofa talking aloud. "Yeah, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I just thought, well you know now what I thought." She continued as she reached her fireplace and leant on it, keeping her back to Remus so he wouldn't see how upset she really was. "I mean it's fine, it's not as if I've not been turned down before, not that I go trying to kiss every Wizard I meet, but I mean – I'm use to rejection, so we can just forget it and be friends and…"

Strong hands had seized her shoulders and spun her around. Before she could take stock of what was happening Remus' lips had met with her own. One hand wound up into her hair, the other gripped her hip, pulling her tightly against his chest, where one of her own hands lay, whilst the other slowly made its way up the back of his neck.

The next quarter of an hour was a haze of happiness. In the brief moments they broke apart to refill their lungs with air, all Tonks could see was Remus' smiling face. The whole of the Ministry of Magic could have piled into her tiny flat and she would have been unlikely to notice.

"Tonks I," Remus said breathlessly a few times in between kisses. It wasn't until the fourth time he said her name, that he actually stopped kissing her and tried to form something that resembled a full sentence.

He led them both to the sofa and the plonked down, sitting side by side. Remus had his knee on Tonks leg as though he was trying to hold her or perhaps himself back.

"Tonks, we, I, and this, complex, you're young and," he sighed rolled his eyes at himself and tried again, "I'm a old codger, you're…" Tonks took advantage of this pause, placing her hand on his chest she pushed him back into the corner of her sofa and kissed him sweetly on the mouth.

"What I am Remus Lupin, right now, is very very very happy."

Tonks loved the look in Remus' eyes as his smiled reached them, taking his feet off the floor and pulling her on top of him, they continued into another Haze of Happiness, kissing, tickling and giggling into the night.

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><p><strong>Please let me know what you think... :-) I can't promise you a Haze of Happiness with Remus but maybe I can promise Tonks and Remus will have plenty more ;-)<strong>


	10. Alleyways and Decomposing Waste - Heaven

**AN - Thank you so much for all the kind comments and pleas to continue with the fic, they keep me going when I have so little time to write these days! This little one shot has grown into a bit of a monster of a fic, but I'm hoping to round it up in the next chapter or two. Hope you enjoy this...chapter 10! **

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><p><strong>Alleyways and decomposing waste – Heaven on Earth. <strong>

**Chapter 10 **

Nymphadora Tonks did not consider herself to be particularly beautiful, sure she could enhance her features by morphing to change her hair colour or the shape of her nose or even the size of her boobs, but without morphing, just was plain old Tonks. She'd long ago conceded that she was not destined to be a great beauty, she was, if she was to be brutally honest with herself, rather plain.

And yet…

Curled up on the sofa, in her tiny flat, with Remus Lupin's soft hand caressing her cheek as he placed featherlike kisses on her neck and whispered things into her ear that made her blush, she felt if just for a few minutes, like the most beautiful witch in the world. Alone she was just ordinary old _Tonks_, but in the arms of Remus Lupin she became extraordinary.

Each touch was in itself like magic, everywhere his fingers trailed she could feel a tingling. Pushing him back, she wanted to look at him, to drink in every tiny detail of his features and memorise them.

"Tonks," he whispered her name, "You're so beautiful, so breathtakingly beautiful."

Tonks couldn't help but snort, breathtakingly beautiful?

Before she could tell Remus how ridiculous she thought that statement was, a little bluish orb flew through her window and floated in front of them. Turning into the form of a phoenix, the orb, with the calming yet commanding voice of Dumbledore, told them that their presence was immediately required at headquarters.

888

Perhaps due to the headiness she felt after spending so long kissing Remus, or perhaps just because it was so late at night and she was so tired after her night of crumpled up sleep on the sofa, but as Tonks apparated into an alley behind Grimmauld Place, she wasn't sure for a few seconds if she was going to vomit or fall over or both.

Hearing a pop behind her, seconds later she felt a reassuring hand reach her shoulder and another steadying hand attach itself to her hip. Despite the nausea feeling, she felt instantly better.

"Tonks? You didn't splinch did…" Remus always so calm and in command sounded so panicked that she wouldn't have recognised his voice, but she recognised his touch.

Tonks turned slowly to look at him, "No, I'm fine, just feel a little queasy, it'll pass. Too much Chinese and bacon this week I recon!"

Remus visibly relaxed, "I saw you wobble as you disapparated away from your flat and I was concerned…"

Tonks, her nauseasness completely forgotten, leaned into Remus and slinked her arms up his chest and around the back of his neck, "I think I rather like you being concerned about me. That came out wrong, I just…"

Remus chucked, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her half a step closer, "I know what you meant" Learning in he treated her to a head spinning, breath-taking, toe tingling kiss.

Grimmauld Place was, Tonks had often mused, one of the most miserable places on Earth, perhaps only second to Azkaban itself. The alley behind Grimmauld Place, with its overgrown hedges poking out of the fence panels that caged it and the disgusting smell of decomposing rubbish which had been thrown there by less than savoury muggles was even worse. It was certainly _not_ the most romantic place to be.

And yet…

In Remus Lupin's arms, not only did plain old Tonks become something extraordinary, but the world itself seemed to shift into a sweet haven. When she remember this moment in years to come, and she could tell this would be the kind of moment she would want to regularly relive in her twilight years, her subconscious could probably easily convince her they weren't stood in the stinking alley behind Grimmauld Place at all, but were in fact in paradise.

Because that is how it felt to be in his arms. Like heaven on Earth.

Unfortunately Dumbledore's message had said to come immediately and even more unfortunately, Remus was the type of man that did what was asked of him, and liked to arrive to places promptly. Ushering Tonks in front of him, the pair made their way in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

Many of the Order were already assembled but the meeting clearly hadn't started, Molly was bustling around by the stove, sending plates of biscuits and cakes out onto the painfully scrubbed kitchen table. Kingsley was sat in the corner, hunched over, and leaning into Sirius who was deep in conversation with. Arthur Weasley, was snoozing slightly in his chair, but jumped every time his wife approached or spoke. Waving their "hellos" as they squeezed through the busy kitchen, Tonks settled on a chair on the far side of the room, Remus sat next to her.

The meeting started shortly after their arrival, when with unusual flare and dramatics, Dumbledore, normally quiet and understated, swept into the room in a most Snape-esque fashion. For a moment Tonks wondered if it was in fact Snape and he'd taken Polyjuice Potion as a lesson to warn them all of how easy it was to be duped, grasping onto her wand under her robes, she waited. Hearing in address the group, Tonks was able to relax the grip on her wand. The commanding voice she heard and the kind eyes that searched the group certainly didn't belong to that git of a professor Snape.

"I'm sorry to have summoned you hear on what I hope was, until my interruption, a wonderful evening for you all." Tonks tried to hold in a snort that threatened to burst from her, a wonderful evening? That was a bloody understatement.

"I realise," Dumbledore continued, "that in times such as these, spending time with friends, family and those closest to us is perhaps more precious to us than during peacetime. Making time for friendship, love and new relationships are perhaps a large part of what we're fighting for…" She had to be imagining it, but Dumbledore seemed to be looking straight at _Remus. _Occasionally his gaze would land on her, but no more than the others, yet, for the majority of his speech so far, his piercing, kind eyes had been locked on the man sat next to her.

But he couldn't possibly…

Next to her, Remus hand slid from the table onto own lap, then ever so discreetly onto her own. Whether Dumbledore had intended for Remus to take his words personally or not, he certainly seemed to have done just that.

"Anyway, I digress. Let us discuss the business at hand and let you all return as soon as possible to your loved ones." The meeting progressed, more slowly than she would have liked after that. A safe hold that the Order used quite regularly to hide people who Death Eaters were known to be hunting or trying to recruit, had been compromised, in short Dumbledore required a few of the Order to ascertain what they could recover from the house and if it was safe to return, whilst other volunteers were needed to search out other temporary safe houses and the numbers needing protection were increasing weekly.

Tonks was on Auror shifts for the next 4 days and Remus already had orders to try and track an ally that may be able to help them identify more Death Eaters and their supporters and so neither of them were really in a position to help. Others readily volunteered however, suggestions of new safe holds, such as Shell Cottage were offered as well as new ideas for heightened security precautions and the meeting was soon adjourned.

The kitchen emptied of people much quicker than after scheduled Order meetings, perhaps simply due to the late hour, or perhaps like Tonks, the other members could still hear Dumbledore's words replaying in their head, "spending time with friends, family and those closest to us is perhaps more precious to us than during peacetime."

After exchanging pleasantries with Hestia and shooting a quick retort at Kingsley's smart remark about her hair, she saw Remus catch her eye and indicate for her to leave the kitchen with him. He led her to the library on the second floor, where once inside he closed the door and with a lazy flick of his wand sent the fire blazing.

Tonks felt like he'd done the same thing to her heart, with a simple kiss.

He was so beautiful in the fire light; his smile lines seem etched deep into his statuesque face, like they had been painted by Michael Angelo himself. "I guess I should be getting home," Tonks admitted reluctantly, "I have a shift tomorrow morning."

Remus smile was as sad as she felt, "I too must begin research for my mission tomorrow." Remus agreed with her assessment of their situation.

"Do you think you'll be done by Friday?" She asked hopefully, "I have 4 day shifts then I'm off for 3 days. Can we get together Friday?"

Remus seemed to hesitate, as if formulating his words carefully. Surely he couldn't be changing his mind already. Please God don't let her have already messed this up.

"I will certainly be done by Friday, but I don't think we should _get together_ Friday." Maddingly he paused, offering no explanation for what seemed like hours.

"However, if you'd consent, I would very much like to take you out on Friday; on a date." Tonks couldn't help that her mouth was hanging open. "I know, after this weekend it seems silly," Tonks was chuckling slightly, "But allow me keep a semblance of my gentlemanly upbringing. I went about this all wrong. I wish to correct that and take you somewhere nice."

Tonks was no longer laughing at the notion of a first date with Remus, she was beaming. She would have been happy counting their weekend of Gilmore Girls and bacon sandwiches as their first date, but she certainly wasn't going to turn down any offer to spend time with Remus.

"Of course, I'm afraid it won't be anything fancy, my means are…" Tonks cut his words short as she quickly stepped forward and placed a featherlike kiss on his mouth.

"Remus Lupin, earlier tonight you made the alley behind Grimmauld Place seem like heaven on Earth, I don't need fancy, as long as I have you."


End file.
